What Aileth Thee?
“And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is” (Genesis 21:17) It is comforting to know that God sees our plight and intervenes to protect us. The Christian faith is not a faith that serves God who from a distance. Jesus entered our suffering and walks with us through the valleys of life.
One of the beauties of God’s intervention is that he uses ordinary men and women to do his work. Of course, as with Hagar, the Lord can do the bidding all by himself. However, he invites his children into the arena of his actions. We should count it as the privilege of privileges to be used by Christ in the life of others.
I did not grow up with a lot of fear. I can think of two main things that caused fear in my life throughout my youth—electricity, and tornados. I’ve witnessed and seen the damage they can cause, and there is a mystery to both. However, there was one thing that stood above these two when it comes to fear. That is, the fear I felt when I knew the Lord was calling me to preach.
The days I wrestled with surrendering to ministry were nothing short of horror. Not horror about God, but horror about my ability to do his will and not bring shame to his name. This fear also included the concern of having children that possibly would become the ‘bad preacher kids’ we all saw growing up. It seems that many preacher’s kids struggle with their role in society and I did not want that weight on my shoulders nor on their’s.
I remember one day I was struggling greatly with God’s call to ministry. It seemed my bones literally shook and fear gripped my soul like a pair of channel lock pliers. I walked out by a large tree to look at the sky as my heart leaned ‘away’ from God. Then it happened. My grandmother, Mary Alice Dearman, saw me standing by myself away from the crowd and she walked up to me and simply said, “What aileth thee?”
I responded with a weak, “Nothing, Mamaw!” but she was having none of it. She then gave me advice that sticks with me to this day. She spoke a good word in due season and was used by the Holy Spirit to firm up my shaking foundation and get my eyes on Jesus. I can’t wait to thank her for that moment, for without it, I would probably be dead or in jail.
It is amazing how a simple question from a person who ‘really cares’ can safeguard us from a lifetime of trouble. There are men and women around us that need such friends. Be that friend, and when you see them struggling, ask… What aileth thee?
